Catholic Bloc Vote a Possibility for RP's 2010 National Elections

Cagayan de Oro´s highest ranking Catholic Church official believes that contrary to popular belief, a "Catholic Vote" is possible in the coming elections.

"It´s up to the members of the church if they decide to mobilize to actively participate in the coming elections," said Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro City in reply to a question about the possibility of a ´Catholic Bloc´ vote during the joint monthly breakfast meeting of the east and west chapters of the Cagayan de Oro held November 7 at a local hotel. "As members of society, we are guardians of the culture and values of our society," he added.

However, by the term "church", Ledesma clarified he refers not to the Catholic hierarchy but rather to the laity as a "people of God" and as a "community of disciples of the Lord."

In his presentation to the members of the two BCBP chapters entitled "Church and State: Christians in Politics", Ledesma presented the five (5) bases for the church´s mission in politics as cited in the Catholic Bishop´s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Pastoral Exhortation 1997 : Philippine Politics.

1. The Gospel and the Kingdom of God call the Church to political involvement (Mk. 1:15 and Mt. 6:10) by promoting the Kingdom values of justice, peace, truth and love, freedom, mercy and reconciliation.

2. The Church´s mission of integral salvation involves the temporal sphere: integral evangelization, the total reality of the human person (soul and body) spiritual and material, eternal and temporal. Salvation of the individual and also of the community as the Body of Christ.

3. Salvation is from personal and social sin, including in the political sphere.

4. The Church has an option for the poor in the field of politics (Church of the Poor (PCP II)

5. The way of the church is the human person who is affected by politics (the concrete human being living in history is ´the way of the church´)

Because of the Catholic Church´s unique status as a religious institution, Ledesma cited the Vatican II, Church in the World, 76) describing the political community and the church: "The Church, by reason of her role and competence, is not identified with any political community nor bound by ties to any political system. It is at once the sign and the safeguard of the transcendental dimension of the human person."

Thus, the participation of Catholics in politics involves, among others, the promotion of justice, the spirit of service, preferential love for the poor and empowering people (PCP II, 351).

In page 26, of the CBCP Pastoral Exhortation 1997: Philippine Politics, the bishop cited God´s call to mission in politics: "There is a duty of the Christian Catholic to transform politics by the Gospel. The Church, God´s people, must evangelize politics. God´s call to the Church is to preach the integral Gospel, the Gospel with all its social dimensions."

Thus, the CBCP´s three (3) calls to the Catholic Laity include the creation of Circles of Discernment where small groups of lay people see, judge and act together; get involved directly in principled partisan politics; and exercise their right and duty to campaign for candidates who are competent, honest and public service minded (for the common good).

Circles of Discernment can be those of Individual Discernment which involve the interaction of faith and morals; Social Discernment (in small groups or in local community) where religion and social morality interact such as issues on family life (pro-life issue), pornography (cybersex), gambling and our stewardship of the environment; Political Discernment where the faith-based community and political system interact on issues such as poverty, corruption, vote buying and selling, lack of transparency and accountability; and Institutional Discernment which involves the separation of the Church and State.

From the perspective of the State, the last is based on the non-establishment of an official religion; non-preference of one religion over others; freedom of religion and non-discrimination against religious adherents. From the perspective of the Church, this the non-involvement of the church as an institution and the restriction of clergy from seeking and holding public office (along partisan lines).

Ledesma said Christians involvement in politics could be any of the following: non-partisan (e.g.membership in poll watchdog and monitong groups like NAMFREL or PPCRV); Transpartisan (SILINGAN KA, Managsilingan Ta); Partisan (KAMPI, Liberal Party, Nacionalista Party, et.al.) or Sectoral (party-list organizations).

As a concrete example, Ledesma cited SILINGAN KA (Sibugaynon Lihok Ngadto sa Nagpakabanang Katawhan, or Sibugaynon Movement for a Concerned Citizenry) which was organized in 2004 in Zamboanga Sibugay province while he was bishop of the Prelature of Ipil to allow residents to conscientiously and collectively vote for candidates based on their qualifications and accomplishments.

Ledesma said SILINGAN KA was started by lay workers in the Prelature of Ipil who wanted a more active role for the Catholic laity other than neutral NAMFREL and PPCRV volunteers, to make partisan-or transpartisan choices of candidates in elections.

The group did not merely conduct a thorough search for candidates to endorse, but also secured the selected candidates commitment to conduct a quarterly report of their initiatives and accomplishments to the members who held them accountable for their actions and commitments.

Replicated on a national scale, Ledesma said lay-inspired organizations such as SILINGAN KA and Managsilingan Ta can mobilize a "Catholic Vote" for national candidates as well as local candidates in their respective localities.

"We invited Archbishop Ledesma to be our speaker as part of the BCBP´s BE HONEST national advocacy," said Eduardo Pelaez, BCBP regional coordinating director for Northern Mindanao. "We believe the BCBP campaign directly answers the Church´s call for Christian involvement in politics and puts flesh on BCBP's Be Honest national advocacy."